Electrically-controlled refrigerator door



June 24, 1958 u. J. FELTZ ETAL 2,840,405

ELECTRICALLY-CONTROLLED REFRIGERATOR DOOR Filed Aug. 1'7, 1956 g A 4 I 11 l INVENTORS URBAN J. FELTZ TTORNEK United States PatentELECTRICALLY-CONTROLLED REFRIGERATOR DOOR Urban J. Feltz, St. Louis,Mo., and Charles C. Benn, East St. Louis, 11!.

Application August 17, 1956, Serial No. 604,828

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-122) This invention relates to refrigeratorsgenerally, but more especially to so controlling the door latch of thesame that the latter is released through electrically operable means.

One of the principal objects of our invention is to provide an extremelysimple, safe and eflicient electrically operable mechanism to shift thelatch from its normally latching position to its released position tothereby permit opening of the refrigerator door.

Another object of the invention is to so construct such an electricalcontrol mechanism that it may be operated from either within or withoutsaid refrigerator, thus insuring that in the event that a child hasbecome locked within the refrigerator he can readily extricate himselfand open the door by simply pressing the inside switch and also pressingagainst the door.

Other objects of our invention herein shown and described, and the usesand advantages thus obtained, will be obvious to those skilledin the artto which this invention appertains, all as will be seen from thedisclosures hereinafter given.

To this end, the invention consists inthe novel construction,arrangement, combination and form of parts herein shown and describedand set forth in the claim.

in the drawings, wherein like reference characters represent like orcorresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a horizontal-cross-section view througha refrigeratorshowing its closure door and electrical control mechanism for the doorlatch;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the same, takensubstantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a wiring diagram for the electrical control mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein we have illustratedthe preferred embodiment of our in vention, there is shown arefrigerator of any usual or special construction, and including anouterhousing or casing 1 and with a closure door 2 hingedly mounted along oneedge of the latter for providing access to the refrigerator interior.

In order to maintain the door in its normally closed position and ingood sealing engagement with the casing,

a latch element 3 may be shiftably mounted on either p the door orcasing structure and a latch keeper element 4 fixed to the otherstructure, and in this instance the latch 3 is mounted on the door andthe keeper 4 on the casing.

A handle 5 may be carried by the door to facilitate urging of the latterto its open or closed position, in the usual manner.

It is sometimes desirable to have only authorized persons know exactlyhow to open the refrigerator; hence we provide a mechanism thatisrelatively inconspicuous when seen from the refrigerator exterior, butwhich must be operated in order to permit opening of the door.

For accomplishing this purpose, we have included electrically-controlledmeans that must be set in operation to thereafter permit opening of thedoor in the usual manner, and which re-sets or retracts to its normallock.- ing engagement upon the re-closing of the door.

-To this end, we have set a receptacle 6 into the door, and havepivotally interconnected one end of the latch thereto at 7. The otherend of the latch is so shaped as to cam past the edge of the keeperelement 4 to thereby maintain the latch in engaged position. A spring 8may be interposed between the latch and the receptacle to urge the latchto its latching position and retract the latch as soon as any force thatlifted the latter to released position has ceased.

To overcome the latch-closing force of the spring, we have interposed asolenoid or electromagnet 9 within said receptacle, to exert itsmagnetic force on a plunger element 10 carried .by said latch.Obviously, energizing of the electromagnet will exert sufficient forceon the element 10 to pull the latter and the latch associated therewithin such a direction (upwardly, in the position shown in the drawings) asto release the latch from its interlocking relation with its keeper. isheld in this position, the door may be opened by a simple pull on itshandle. Otherwise, pulling on said handle will not serve to permitopeningof the door.

Electrical energy for the operation of the electromagnetic circuit isobtained from any handy source of electric power outlet from theconductor wires 11 having the usual connector plug at its end.

Inasmuch as the usual source of household current is at a higher voltagethan needed to safely and efficiently operate the electromagnet, areducing voltage transformer 12 may be interposed between the conductorwires and the electromagnet.

A switch 13, preferably in the shape of a push-button that is relativelyinconspicuously arranged to be in convenient association with the'handle 5, as by having it projecting slightly through an openingthrough the latter, may be used and is placed in the electrical circuitto control passage of current through the circuit. In such anarrangement, this button may be actuated concurrently with grasping saidhandle, and the pull on the handle,

while said button is so actuated will result in opening movement of thedoor. As soon as pressureon the button is released, the spring retractsthe latch to its normal latching position as indicated in Fig. 2.

In the possible instance, even though not very likely to occur, that achild might entrap himself within the refrigerator, we have added asecond control switch 14 in series with the electrical control circuit,this switch being so located Within the 'box as to be convenientlyreached by the child, say, by placing its button somewhat lower than theexterior button 13. v

' Thus, when either switch is actuated to release the latch, the doormay be opened by a simple pull from without the casing or a push fromwithin the latter.

We claim:

The combination with a refrigerator having a normallyclosedlatch-controlled door with a door handle movably mounted thereon, of anelectromagnet cooperable with said latch to shiftably release the sameto permit the opening of said door, an electrical plug for connection toa source of electric current, a reducing-voltage trans former betweensaid plug and electromagnet for operation of the latter, an electricswitch between said electromagnet and transformer for controlling theoperation While the electromagnet References Cited in the file of thispatent -STA'IES PATENTS Louis Aug. 9, 1904 Brockway Mar. 24, 1936 BurkeJuly 27, 1943 Wildberg Feb. 27, 1951 Halovatch Mar. 5, 1957

